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perdre fers

English translation: greens are so tough you don\'t know what club (iron) to choose/use


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GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:perdre fers
English translation:greens are so tough you don\'t know what club (iron) to choose/use
Entered by: Drmanu49
Options:
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- Include in personal glossary

19:01 Nov 12, 2009
French to English translations [PRO]
Sports / Fitness / Recreation / Golf
French term or phrase: perdre fers
Compétition, difficulté, pression : le parcours de XXXX invite avec plaisir des joueurs à venir goûter à ces trois sensations fortes. Des tees intimidants, des greens déroutants à en **perdre fers**… Chaque trou est un chef-d’œuvre d'exécution subtile.

I get that "fers" means "irons" but I'm lost to the rest because I don't play golf. Help!

Merci d'avance !
Hattie Hill
Local time: 22:21
greens are so tough you don't know what club (iron) to choose/use
Explanation:
IMO
Selected response from:

Drmanu49
Local time: 04:21
Grading comment
Merci !
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +4greens are so tough you don't know what club (iron) to choose/use
Drmanu49
3mixing metaphorsxxxBourth
3greens that are unnerving
Joanne Archambault


  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
greens are so tough you don't know what club (iron) to choose/use


Explanation:
IMO

Drmanu49
Local time: 04:21
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 50
Grading comment
Merci !

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Martyn G
6 mins
  -> Thank you Martyn.
agree  Chris Hall
1 hr
  -> Thank you Chris.
agree  Evelyne Trolley de Prévaux
7 hrs
  -> Thank you Evelyne.
agree  Gilla Evans
14 hrs
  -> Thank you Gilla.
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18 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
greens that are unnerving


Explanation:
I think that "perdre fers" in this context means to "lose your mettle", which is derived from the expression "to test your mettle" where "mettle" is someone's character or resolve.

http://www.english-for-students.com/Test-Your-Mettle.html

IMO this fits in with "déroutants" meaning "worrisome" or "unnerving" if the greens at the golf course are fast, undulated, etc., making it difficult to get the ball into the hole with only 1 or 2 putts.

So my suggested translation for the whole phrase is to say that "the greens are unnerving".

I don't disagree with what Manu suggested (as choosing which club to hit into a very large green or one that is above or below the tee is certainly a concern) but I wanted to provide another possible answer based on my insight as a golfer (who is has been unnerved by many greens in the past!)


Joanne Archambault
United States
Local time: 22:21
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in FrenchFrench
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1 day4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
mixing metaphors


Explanation:
Golf, yes, but might fers refer not to a type of club but to horseshoes, something a horse might lose on very difficult terrain?

Greens on which you're likely to come unshod, lose your footing, come a cropper? Goes with sensations fortes.

xxxBourth
Local time: 04:21
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 114
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Voters for reclassification
as
PRO / non-PRO		PRO (3): Stéphanie Soudais, Chris Hall, Joanne Archambault


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Changes made by editors
Nov 24, 2009 - Changes made by Drmanu49:
Edited KOG entryHattie Hill's old entry - "perdre fers" => "greens are so tough you don\'t know what club (iron) to choose/use"
Nov 13, 2009 - Changes made by Joanne Archambault:
LevelNon-PRO => PRO


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